NameCensus.

UK surname

Ripley

From a place name meaning "strip of land cleared of trees," or referring to someone who lived there.

In the 1881 census there were 1,971 people recorded with the Ripley surname, ranking it #2,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,875, ranked #2,338, down from #2,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bradford and Rochdale. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hastings, Ashford and Medway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ripley is 2,926 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.9%.

1881 census count

1,971

Ranked #2,224

Modern count

2,875

2016, ranked #2,338

Peak year

1999

2,926 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ripley had 1,971 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,875 in 2016, ranked #2,338.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,723 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ripley surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ripley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ripley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ripley over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,152 #2,453
1861 historical 1,342 #2,136
1881 historical 1,971 #2,224
1891 historical 2,142 #2,174
1901 historical 2,421 #2,247
1911 historical 2,723 #1,901
1997 modern 2,847 #2,273
1998 modern 2,903 #2,320
1999 modern 2,926 #2,317
2000 modern 2,858 #2,355
2001 modern 2,782 #2,357
2002 modern 2,857 #2,355
2003 modern 2,789 #2,355
2004 modern 2,777 #2,365
2005 modern 2,713 #2,380
2006 modern 2,692 #2,399
2007 modern 2,710 #2,407
2008 modern 2,723 #2,415
2009 modern 2,803 #2,407
2010 modern 2,884 #2,392
2011 modern 2,895 #2,347
2012 modern 2,856 #2,334
2013 modern 2,907 #2,337
2014 modern 2,913 #2,341
2015 modern 2,864 #2,361
2016 modern 2,875 #2,338

Geography

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Where Ripleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bradford, Rochdale and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hastings, Ashford, Medway and Wealden. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hastings 003 Hastings
2 Ashford 012 Ashford
3 Hastings 001 Hastings
4 Medway 031 Medway
5 Wealden 017 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ripley

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ripley surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ripley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ripley, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Ripley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ripley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ripley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ripley is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ripley falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ripley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ripley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ripley

The surname Ripley is derived from the Old English words "rip" meaning "strip of land" and "leah" meaning "wood" or "clearing." It originated in England, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire, where place names such as Ripley existed as early as the 11th century.

The name Ripley first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The earliest recorded spelling of the surname was "de Ripeleia," referring to someone from the village of Ripley.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hugh de Ripeleia, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Ripley, a 15th-century alchemist and philosopher who wrote several treatises on the subject of alchemy.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Ripley spread across England, and several notable individuals emerged. George Ripley (1415-1490) was a renowned English alchemist and Augustinian canon. Clement Ripley (1570-1619) was an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of Woodstock.

In the 18th century, John Ripley (1697-1758) was a renowned English playwright and author, best known for his comedies "The Modish Husband" and "The Lancashire Witches." Another notable figure was Eleazar Wheelock Ripley (1782-1839), an American Army officer and politician who served as a Brigadier General during the War of 1812.

In the 19th century, George Ripley (1802-1880) was an American literary critic, philosopher, and leader of the Transcendentalist movement. He is best known for founding the utopian community of Brook Farm in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. Roswell Sabine Ripley (1823-1887) was a distinguished American anthropologist and pioneer in the field of racial classification.

The Ripley surname has also been associated with several notable 20th-century figures, including George Ripley (1904-1980), an American cartoonist and creator of the popular comic strip "Li'l Abner," and Deric Ripley (1904-1978), a British actor and playwright known for his work in television and radio.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ripley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ripley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 1,025 Ripleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.36x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,025 5.36x
Lancashire 227 0.99x
Middlesex 111 0.58x
Durham 95 1.65x
Northumberland 76 2.65x
Sussex 64 1.97x
Surrey 57 0.61x
Kent 55 0.84x
Lincolnshire 54 1.75x
Hampshire 50 1.26x
Cambridgeshire 23 1.88x
Buckinghamshire 16 1.37x
Derbyshire 14 0.46x
Devon 11 0.27x
Westmorland 11 2.59x
Roxburghshire 10 2.86x
Cheshire 8 0.19x
Somerset 8 0.26x
Aberdeenshire 7 0.39x
Banffshire 6 1.50x
Essex 6 0.16x
Hertfordshire 5 0.38x
Norfolk 5 0.17x
Oxfordshire 4 0.34x
Staffordshire 4 0.06x
Warwickshire 4 0.08x
Worcestershire 4 0.16x
Berkshire 3 0.21x
Isle of Man 3 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.12x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Royal Navy 2 0.87x
Brecknockshire 1 0.26x
Fife 1 0.09x
Leicestershire 1 0.05x
Morayshire 1 0.33x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 129 Ripleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.95x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 129 11.95x
Saddleworth 51 34.58x
Hunslet 35 11.74x
Middlesbrough 31 12.45x
Methley 29 107.73x
Oldham 27 3.65x
Bradford 24 5.19x
Lancaster 23 16.88x
Sculcoates 22 7.26x
Hellingly 20 183.65x
St Andrewthe Less 19 13.61x
Barnsley 18 9.13x
Flockton 18 230.77x
Little Bolton 18 6.11x
Whitby 18 27.93x
Darlington 17 7.67x
Scarborough 17 9.78x
Clapham 16 6.63x
Headingley Cum Burley 16 13.00x
Little Missenden 16 217.69x
Longbenton 16 13.16x
Rothwell 16 41.43x
Stanhope 16 27.00x
Warblington 16 101.98x
Castleford 15 21.54x
Great Bolton 15 4.95x
Horbury 15 44.84x
Manningham 15 6.37x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 14 21.41x
Hipperholme Cum 14 16.66x
Mile End Old Town 14 4.60x
Wortley In Bramley 14 9.25x
Wray With Botton 14 338.16x
Islington London 13 0.70x
Manchester 13 1.26x
Rotherham 13 12.06x
Normanton 12 20.88x
Ashton Under Lyne 11 2.20x
Byker 11 7.75x
Cleckheaton 11 15.62x
Gate Fulford 11 24.64x
Golcar 11 21.76x
Gomersal 11 12.33x
Hough On Hill 11 428.02x
St Pancras London 11 0.71x
Tenterden 11 47.37x
Twickenham 11 13.30x
Widley 11 155.81x
Bagmore Burton By 10 480.77x
Castleton 10 4.37x
Eccleston In Prescot 10 8.70x
Eltringham 10 325.73x
Holy Trinity 10 2.17x
Kingston On Thames 10 4.43x
Wilton 10 26.08x
Bedhampton 9 192.31x
Bridlington 9 20.56x
Holbeck 9 7.11x
Hollington 9 77.72x
Holme 9 174.76x
Mirfield 9 8.57x
North Meols 9 4.02x
Penshaw 9 52.17x
Rotherfield 9 31.41x
Warmfield Cum Heath 9 139.32x
Whittington 9 21.53x
Windle 9 6.99x
Clifford Cum Boston 8 46.54x
Cowthorpe 8 963.86x
Eskdaleside 8 85.11x
Normanton 8 851.06x
Northiam 8 100.25x
Paddington London 8 1.13x
Scagglethorpe 8 476.19x
Shitlington 8 40.44x
Stillington 8 202.02x
Wallbottle 8 131.15x
Wallsend 8 8.79x
Whitwood 8 29.46x
York St Mary 8 10.10x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ripley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ripley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 134
William 101
George 84
Thomas 70
James 54
Joseph 46
Robert 35
Charles 32
Henry 28
Arthur 21
Samuel 17
Richard 16
Albert 15
Alfred 15
Frederick 15
Herbert 14
Walter 14
Geo. 11
Edward 10
Harry 9
Benjamin 8
Frank 8
Christopher 6
David 6
Francis 6
Matthew 6
Tom 6
Ernest 5
Jesse 5
Mark 5
Moses 5
Wm. 5
Andrew 4
Fred 4
Percy 4
Horace 3
Jas. 3
Joe 3
Luke 3
Paul 3
Peter 3
Reginald 3
Robt. 3
Sam 3
Thos. 3
Benjiman 2
Berry 2
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Emmerson 2

FAQ

Ripley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ripley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,971 people were recorded with the Ripley surname. That placed it at #2,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ripley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,875 in 2016. That gives Ripley a modern rank of #2,338.

What does the Ripley surname mean?

From a place name meaning "strip of land cleared of trees," or referring to someone who lived there.

What does the Ripley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ripley bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.